This blueberry peach galette is my go-to dessert for bringing to summer barbecues. The word “galette” is French for any type of freeform crusty pastry (except in the case of the buckwheat pancakes in the Brittany region – but that’s a different story). I like to think of galettes as a lazy pie. They’re easy…
When visiting sunny Sicily, granita is a must! You’ll find street carts and small cafes scooping this semi-frozen dessert into cups with a small spoon and a straw. Granita is a lot like an Italian slurpee, a sweet slushy drink that’s much easier to sip than it is to eat — especially on a warm…
One of the things I love about this tiramisu recipe is that it’s easy to make and quick to impress. And it makes for a fascinating dinner party conversation since tiramisu is one of those desserts with a mysterious origin story. Having been to Italy several times now, and doing a bit of research, it seems…
If you’re a fan of chocolate, coffee, or anything mocha flavored, you’re going to love the Finnish dessert, mokkapalat. Similar to mocha brownies, Mokkapalat is a short, dense, chocolate cake with a rich mocha frosting. And the name mokkapalat translates to ‘suede pieces’ in English, which I think is quite fitting for the decadent texture and…
I’ve been experimenting quite a bit with my original marshmallow recipe and decided to give my favorite winter coffee drink flavor a go — Mocha Peppermint! Now, this marshmallow recipe is actually for chocolate peppermint marshmallows, but they are a divine accompaniment to dunk into your favorite cuppa coffee or cocoa. Read This: Mocha Marshmallows…
Mango sticky rice is pretty much ubiquitous with the city of Chiang Mai. Everywhere you go in northern Thailand, from restaurants to small stalls at the night markets, you’ll find this sweet coconut milk soaked dessert. It is such a simple dish with only three ingredients: fresh sliced mango, rice, and coconut milk. And while…
I’ve got cucumber melon soaps and lotions, but I don’t think I’ve actually made anything flavored cucumber melon until now! After a minor dental surgery (no fun) I had to only eat soft foods for two weeks. The tricky part was also avoiding tomato or citrus-based ingredients since their acidity would burn (ouch!). Most of my…
I’ve been on a bit of a kick of making homemade marshmallows lately, and this week it is mocha marshmallows. Can you think of a more perfect combination than caffeinated, chocolatey, fluffy sugar pillows? I’m surprised I hadn’t thought of making mocha marshmallows before as they seem to be the perfect quick energy bite needed…
Have you ever tried homemade marshmallows? Fair warning, once you have, you’ll never want store bought ones again. There’s a little more fluff, a lot more flavor, and they are really fun to make. The first time I whipped up a batch, I swear I ran through the house with a marshmallow fluff covered spatula…
This recipe for Welsh Gingerbread is an old one. I picked it up during my culinary tour of Wales, and as you can see from the picture, it comes from an old book (you know, the kind your grandmother has stashed on the shelf) There’s no reference to what year this book was made, but there…
I think I’m going to have to invest in a set of those cloud-like magical hotel pillows that seem to cocoon me in comfort whenever I’m traveling. Because, now that I am at home, I’m not getting as much sleep as I would like. An endless to-do list and longer daylight hours have had me…
One of the new features I was excited to discover during my Carnival Cruise was a coffee shop! Because of my love for coffee, I discovered it immediately when we boarded. And while most passengers went straight for the fun tropical cocktails on deck to celebrate as we floated away from Cape Canaveral, I was…
Tres Leches cake is the perfect dessert for those of us that love to dunk their cookie or donut into a glass of milk or cup of coffee. The name of the cake, “tres leches,” means “three milks” in Spanish and is named for the milky sauce that soaks this heavy sponge cake. I think…
While spending a day in Old San Juan during our last Carnival Cruise, we visited the famous Barrachina Restaurant. Not only is it the birthplace of the pina colada, but they also make a host of other Puerto Rican treats including tostones, sweet plantains, croquets, and coconut flan. Dreaming of that creamy coconut flan, I…
Inspired by a trip to Great Britain where we indulged in dessert a few times to many, and one of those happened to be an Earl Grey creme brûlée. I knew I had to try and make this at home! Turns out, it’s a lot easier than I thought it would be. The secret is…
I grew up on Puerto Rican food. My step-father is from Ponce, so he introduced my mother and me to delicious homemade Puerto Rican meals like arroz con pollo (yellow saffron rice with chicken and peas), caramel flan (a sweet custard desert), pasteles (a sort of tamale stuffed with roast pork and steamed in banana…
While exploring San Juan during our Carnival cruise, we visited a restaurant that’s famous for being the birthplace of the most popular vacation cocktail — the Pina Colada. Having lunch at this legendary restaurant, La Barrachina, and looking out at the Bacardi Rum Factory across the bay during our walk around Old San Juan, I couldn’t…
I love a good bread pudding recipe. Rich, warm, and comforting, it’s perfect for fall weather and these individually portion sized desserts are great for holiday entertaining too. Plus, if you have any left over they’re great with coffee in the morning. Who says you can’t have bread pudding for breakfast? This recipe below is…
Pete and I just returned home from our road trip around Nova Scotia and the first recipe I can’t wait to share is one for Nova Scotia Oatcakes. These are actually popular throughout all the maritime provinces in Canada and are a nod back to the region’s Scottish roots. Oatcakes are crisp like a shortbread…
I have been on the hunt for a great tasting, moist, gluten free carrot cake recipe. With plans to visit my family over Easter, and knowing my Mom was on a special diet, I had to come up with a semi-healthy dessert. The results of my search were a little disappointing and I ended up…
Looking for an unique twist to a traditional pumpkin dessert? How about one with a creamy coconut twist. I usually associate pumpkins with autumnal spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, recipes that comfort you on a cold winter day. So I didn’t expect to stumble upon them in tropical Southeast Asia. As it turns…
Thought I’d re-post a summer favorite. It’s been so hot I found myself searching my own blog to make this sweet refreshing yummy Nutella goodness … a hazelnut gelato recipe with step-by-step photo instructions. Walking through the streets of Rome, it’s easy to get lost. The roads twist and turn through moments of history and…
In the United States, the month of May is National BBQ month. (Lucky for my husband, Pete, as it’s his favorite type of food!) No doubt there will be some fierce rivalries in the barbecue belt from Texas to the east coast. Each state boasts its own special style of sauce and slow cooking, and…
Ah, le macaron. If you’re looking for good French macaron recipe, you’ll find it here. My fascination with these delicate little cookies began while roaming the streets of Paris. I was lost somewhere around the Latin quarter, intentionally so. I must have walked miles that day exploring the city of romance and my tired feet…
Milk Tart (melk tert in Afrikaans) is a popular South African dessert flavored with sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom. It has a custard-like texture, creamy flavor, and reminds me of sweet quiche in a flaky pie crust. I tried it (and loved it!) several times while traveling throughout South Africa, from fancy fine dining establishments to…
There’s nothing I love more than coffee, except maybe a biscotti with my coffee. Well … then there is coffee gelato with biscotti. Biscotti is actually short for “biscotti di Prato” meaning a twice-baked cake from the Italian city of Prato. While I’ve never been to Prato, if their claim to fame is biscotti and…
I’ve been tweeting breakfast and coffee with @DanaMoos since Twitter first launched. And now my longtime Twitter friend and innkeeper, Dana Moos, has published a cookbook including all the recipes that made me drool on my keyboard as I read her tweets about them. Her book, The Art Of Breakfast, has delicious dishes such as…
This vanilla lavender gelato recipe is inspired by a trip to France. While in Paris, I pretty much walked every single neighborhood from my little B&B off of Boulevard de Grenelle to the Louvre to Latin Quarter. Because I felt there was so much to see in my own self-guided walking tour, most of my…
We are experiencing quite the heat wave this summer. One step outside will have you feeling like you’ve walked into an oven or sauna. A summer so hot the devil himself is sweating. In an attempt to cool off, I’ve made several batches of homemade gelato, but was craving something a bit more healthy and refreshing …
Refreshingly crisp, this recipe is an excellent accompaniment to breakfast or a healthy choice to bring to a bbq. The best part is, you can also blend it with vodka or champagne to make tastey fruity beverages. Unpacking my office, I found this recipe on the top of my files. It was from our stay at Stonehurst Place in Atlanta this past January. We were there to write an anonymous review for Mr. and Mrs. Smith, a luxury travel website.
I once made this cheesecake on Daytime … in under 4 minutes! Now, that being said … you actually need about 45 minutes to put it all together and another hour to bake it. But, if you’ve never made cheesecake before, don’t be intimidated. It’s actually quite easy. The hardest part is not eating all the creamy pumpkin-y batter right out of the bowl!
Combine the beer and sugar in a heavy sauce pan and reduce on low heat by approximately one half. The initial volume will be approximately 40 ounces which will yield 20 ounces. The consistency will be slightly syrupy. Chill and hold.
It’s hot enough to sizzle an egg on the roof of my car at the moment. Summer … time for a cool dip in the springs, swaying with the waves in the ocean and consuming all things chilled. Here’s a recipe to cool you off and a good quote to make you laugh …
I tried making marshmallow at home … and they’re unbelievably easy! The timing was perfect since we finally got our Fall cold spell here in Florida. Hot chocolate and marshmallows is a great morning or afternoon treat and we like to have Smores in the backyard fire pit with our guests.